Geek vs Life

Walking through the Emerald City Comicon & finding a table with two guys smiling with CD players displayed in front of them seemed out of place to say the least. The place was quiet, it was still early on Saturday morning. At that point most people were running to the back of the convention hall to have their favorite artists or writers to sign copies of their favorite comics anyway. Now, I know it’s probably stupid to admit this, but I always feel bad when I go to conventions and see people tending a booths with no one there. So when they asked me to give them a listen, I humor them out of kindness and slip on the earphones he handed to me.

Holy shit, these guys are actually pretty damn good!

Kirby Krackle (which is a reference to an effect that comic book artist Jack Kirby used in his work) is made up of Kyle Stevens and his friend Jim Demonakos who also happens to be one of the organizers of ECCC. The band, which touts itself as being “the World’s first Comic Book Band,” have songs which span many levels of geekdom: video games, comics and zombies.

Some examples of attention grabing tracks are:

• “Up, Up, Down, Down” a song about the Konami code and it’s intrinsic abilities to unlock any gamers heart.
• “Naked Wii” a sweet song about connecting with the person you love by gaming with each other… in the nude.
• “Teabagged” a quirky luau sounding melody about the disadvantages of growing up and losing to 13 kids.
• In “Zombie Apocalypse,” the use of the ukulele reminds me of christmas music, and when Z-day finally comes, it will become a international holiday. This song will be the first of many Z-day holiday songs.

Find more information on their official website: http://www.kirbykracklemusic.com/

So tonight was the Sakura-Con staff Halloween party. And Bressler (who, btw, was one of the testers for Fable II and says everyone needs to go out and buy it) brought Rock Band 2. And you know what song is on Rock Band 2? Still Alive. You know, the one from Portal? It even says in the song that it’s by “GLADoS” (or however it’s capitalized) and the word “GLAD” is always all-caps in the lyrics. And, of course, being a room full of otaku, pretty much everyone was singing along.

Meant to be? Dunno, you decide. But just for you, check out the Mario Paint Composer version of the song that someone made here.

In honor of The Donnas’ 15th year anniversary (May 9th), here’s a review of Spend the Night, my favorite Donnas album, released in 2007.

It was The Donnas 5th album and featured “Take It Off,” the major hit on this lovely sex hungry romp. Often compared to the Ramones, The Donnas pull it off with a sassy feminine grace. They come on strong and don’t back down with “Dirty Denim” and “Who Invited You”.

These might just be the girls your mother warned you about.

Why? These boy hungry girls party hard. Just listen to “Pass it Around”. They also play hard and loud, not just for girls but better than anyone on the scene today.

But don’t just take my word for it. Go spend the night with The Donnas.

The Donna’s official website.

The following is the official press release announcing Sakura-Con’s musical guests.

Seattle, WA1-23-2008 Sakura-Con hosts US debut of Ali Project and welcomes musical guests SCANDAL

Sakura-Con 2008, March 28-30th at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center will host the Japanese band Ali Project for their first ever US appearance. Also confirmed for Sakura-Con 2008 is the Japanese, all girl band SCANDAL. Both are presented with special thanks to NEU BAUHAUS.

Ali Project is a highly accomplished Japanese band with 19 albums to their credit and songs on over 14 anime soundtracks-including series beloved in the US- such as: .hack//Roots, Clamp School, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Noir, Rozen Maiden (TV, Ouvertüre, Träumend), Wish.

Their success in Japan has led to invitations to play all over the world, as their fan base continues to expand, but due to native popularity and an intensely busy schedule, they have declined to play outside their homeland until now. Sakura Con will boast the overseas debut of Ali Project, featuring their first appearance, performance and interview ever held outside of Japan!

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience Ali Project right here in the USA!!

SCANDAL was formed with four bright and talented high school girls in Osaka, Japan. Quickly moving from doing local live performances, to gaining recognition across Japan, SCANDAL is embarking on a full fledged US tour in 2008-including a special appearance at Sakura-Con.

This year is proving to be Sakura-Con’s most musically diverse ever! With special thanks to JapanFiles.Com, as previously announced, Japanese band ketchup mania, the winners of the Shojo Beat 2007 award for “Best Japanese Punk Band”, will be performing on our main stage with Ali Project, fresh from their performance at the prestigious SXSW music festival!

Also appearing at Sakura-Con, as previously announced, are The Slants, the popular “Shojo Beat approved” Asian dance/rock band from our own Pacific Northwest.

If you like music, chances are we’ll have something for your tastes at this year’s Sakura-Con!

Pre-Register now and save substantially versus at door prices. Remember that pre-registration helps ANCEA, a state and federal non-profit organization, put on the best Sakura-Con possible! For more information please visit our website at http://www.sakuracon.org.
FULL CONVENTION MEMBERSHIP RATES
$45 until 3-2-2008
$60 at the door
Children age 6-12 are half-price
Children under 6 are free

ANCEA is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about popular and traditional Asian media and culture.

Rilo Kiley- Under The Blacklight

Los Angeles band Rilo Kiley is back with their new album Under The Blacklight. Their sound is fresh, funky and sure to please old and new fans alike. The killer 70’s style bass lines in many of the songs will get you shaking your ass like nobody’s business. There’s a million ways to keep love alive and just as many reasons to love Rilo Kiley, their frank yet poetic style is one of them.

“Dejalo” is simple song about something we all know and love: sex and hooking up. It’s very tongue in cheek and matter of fact. While “Breakin’ Up” is about surviving and moving on when said hook up is over. Sure to be heavy on your playlist even if you’re not in the middle of a break up. “The Moneymaker” is the grooviest song on the album. Listen it while you strut, you’ll look cooler than the Xbox 360. The title track, “Under The Blacklight” is a heartfelt ballad that, if you listen closely, will make you smile and cry at the same time.

The whole album is worth listening to, but those mentioned above are the ones who absolutely stand out.

With this album, Rilo Kiley proves themselves to be truly a progressive rock band. Unlike many acts out there they know the value of changing their sound with out changing who they are as a band.

Pick up Under The Blacklight today!

More info:
Myspace
Offical Website